Hypothermia

To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript.

Hypothermia is dangerously low body temperature, below 95 °F (35 °C).

Considerations

Other types of cold injuries that affect the limbs are called peripheral cold injuries. Of these, frostbite is the most common freezing injury. Non-freezing injuries that occur from exposure to cold wet conditions include trench foot and immersion foot conditions. Chilblains are a type of nonfreezing injury that develops in cold, dry conditions.

Causes

Hypothermia occurs when more heat is lost than the body can make. In most cases, it occurs after long periods in the cold.

Common causes include:

Being outside without enough protective clothing in winter

Falling into cold water of a lake, river, or other body of water

Wearing wet clothing in windy or cold weather

Heavy exertion, not drinking enough fluids, or not eating enough in cold weather

Symptoms

As a person develops hypothermia, they slowly lose the ability to think and move. In fact, they may even be unaware that they need emergency treatment. Someone with hypothermia also is likely to have frostbite.

Lethargy, cardiac arrest, shock, and coma can set in without prompt treatment. Hypothermia can be fatal.

First Aid

Take the following steps if you think someone has hypothermia:

If the person has any symptoms of hypothermia are present, especially confusion or problems thinking, call 911 right away.

If the person is unconscious, check airway, breathing, and circulation. If necessary, begin rescue breathing or CPR. If the victim is breathing fewer than 6 breaths per minute, begin rescue breathing.

Take the person inside to room temperature and cover with warm blankets. If going indoors is not possible, get the person out of the wind and use a blanket to provide insulation from the cold ground. Cover the person's head and neck to help retain body heat.

Once inside, remove any wet or tight clothes and replace them with dry clothing.

Warm the person. If necessary, use your own body heat to aid the warming. Apply warm compresses to the neck, chest wall, and groin. If the person is alert and can easily swallow, give warm, sweetened, nonalcoholic fluids to aid the warming.

Stay with the person until medical help arrives.

DO NOT

Do NOT assume that someone found lying motionless in the cold is already dead.

Do NOT use direct heat (such as hot water, a heating pad, or a heat lamp) to warm the person.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2015, A.D.A.M., Inc. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions.